www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Maronite Patriarch and a number of Eparchs resign

Shlomo Lkhoolkhoon,

According to the Daily Star [dailystar.com.lb] out of Lebanon; the Maronite Patriarch (His Beatitude Boulos Cardinal Sfeir) as well as 6 Eparchs have handed in their resignations. Further, two other eparchs are going to hand in their resignations in March.

According to the Daily Star " Several Maronite bishops have offered to replace him, the sources said. Among them are bishops Bulos Mattar (Archeparch of Beirut),
Bishara al-Rai (Eparch of Jbeil),
Mansour Hobeika (Eparch of Zahleh) and
Nabil Anaderi (Titular Eparch of Tarsus and Auxiliary Eparch of Antioch)...

Of the above candidates, if one of them is selected then his grace Anaderi has history on his side since every eparch of his linage has become the Maronite Patriarch including his Beatitude Sfeir how held this seat prior to election.

My only concern is that with all of these resignations their will be great dis-order amongst the Maronite people when we need to be the most united.

Fush BaShlomo Lkhoolkhoon,
Yuhannon

Why are they resigning?

This is very alarming. Just when the government in Lebanon collapses, these eparchs resign?

Lord, have mercy.

According to the article:

According to the article, His Beatitude submitted his resignation in Feb, but Rome has yet to accept/act on it. His Beatitude is reported to have said that he is frustrated with the situation in Lebanon and wants to rest. This, I think, is understandable given that he is 91 years old.

The 6 bishops who submitted resignations are all reported to have done so as a result of reaching 75 years of age (CCEO Canon 210, §1). The article also indicates that 2 other bishops will resign in March, apparently also due to age. The Patriarch apparently did not choose to place these resignations before the recently concluded Synod, which must concur with his acceptance or rejection of them (§3, same Canon).

As a result, the Synod was unable to act on electing successors to any positions which would have been vacated by acceptance of resignations. (The Vatican is, reportedly, withholding its acceptance of the Patriarch's resignation to pressure that action first be taken on the eparchial seats.)

I find 2 things disturbing about this:

1. The Patriarch's apparent intent (referenced in the article) to visit Rome in February to discuss "with the Pope and other Vatican officials issues related to his resignation and the election of the new bishops". (These are Sees within the historical territory of the Patriarchate and acting on them is within the sole discretion of he and the Synod.)

2. The apparently blatant 'politicking' for the anticipated patriarchal vacancy, as evidenced by the 'offers to replace him'. While I'm not so naive as to think that there are not 'willing candidates' for any such vacancy, one would like to believe that any such interest would be expressed quietly and within the confines of the Synod, as we ordinarily look for such elections to reflect the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

I understand Rome's point in looking for His Beatitude to take responsibility and act on the episcopal resignations before it will accept his own resignation. His Beatitude, on the other hand, may be thinking that, in fairness, his successor should have the right to express his opinions/exercise guidance in the possible election of so many hierarchs (and that having so many newly named hierarchs participate in a patriarchal election may not be a wise course of action). There is merit to both viewpoints, but one or the other must prevail quickly to avoid crippling the administration of the patriarchate.

Prayers for the brethren of our Sister Church.

Many years,

Neil

I am not a big fan of the CCEO, which is about 90 percent identical to the Latin Church's code of canon law. Just how Eastern is the "Eastern" code?

Todd,

Definitely much less than one would prefer it to be. Certainly, CCEO Canon 210, §1 (the age 75 provision) has no history with us; however, it does not go so far as to mandate acceptance of age-based resignations - rather, it requires that they be proferred. CCEO Canon 210, §3 leaves acceptance/rejection of resignations to the Patriarch, with consent of the Synod, an approach not out-of-line with Eastern praxis. In this instance, I don't think we can nail the CCEO as the culprit (unless you want to consider that the requirement to proffer resignation at age 75 is a definite factor in these situations coalescing as they have); but, I certainly don't see it as the principal causation factor.

Regretably, I think the long-standing 'special' relationship between Rome and Bkerke evidenced in the Maronite tendency to first consider Rome's attitude before undertaking any decision-making of its own has, again, come back to bite it now that its Patriarch wants to take an approach that doesn't quite follow the anticipated path. Which of the two is proposing the better route, in this instance, is not quite as clear as it might be.

Many years,

Neil

I always found it odd that the CCEO was composed in Latin, and that it repeats a massive number of the canons from the Latin Church's own code (1983 version) verbatim. To me the CCEO is the biggest Latinization ever foisted upon the Eastern Catholic Churches by the Latin Church. Just my opinion of course.

I wonder when the Pope will submit his resignation . . .

Personally I think that the Eastern Catholic patriarchs and bishops should retire when they die.

Only two of the six Bishops who wish to retire are eparchial Bishops (the Archbishop of Antélias and the Bishop of Batroun). I think it is important to understand who the remaining four titular Bishops who have handed in their resignations are:

• Bishop Roland Aboujaoudé (80) is the senior Bishop of the patriarchal Curia. He is also the senior Auxiliary and Protosyncellus of the patriarchal Eparchy of Joubbé, Sarba and Jounieh.
• Bishop Samir Mazloum (76) is the junior Bishop of the patriarchal Curia. He is also Apostolic Visitor for Maronites in Northern and Western Europe.
• Bishop Francis Némé Baïssari (77) is the Auxiliary and Syncellus for Joubbé in the patriarchal Eparchy.
• Bishop Guy-Paul Noujaim (75) is the Auxiliary and Syncellus for Sarba in the patriarchal Eparchy.

There resignation of these Bishops would leave Bishop Antoine Nabil Andari (61) as the only Bishop of the patriarchal Curia and the only Auxiliary of the patriarchal Eparchy.

Replacing these Bishops would mean replacing two out of three Bishops of the patriarchal Curia and three out of four Auxiliaries of the patriarchal Eparchy.

I think that replacing so many close collaborators of the Patriarch should probably be left until a new Patriarch is elected.

That would certainly be an interesting step.

Among other things, it would mandate re-educating the Latin Church to the fact that it is actually possible for a Pope to resign.

Neil,

there is an article about this topic at AsiaNews.it: Lebanese Maronite patriarch tenders his resignation to the Pope [asianews.it]. It makes interesting, but somewhat depressing reading.

The article says that according to an authorized source, the news about the patriarch's intention to resign is the result of a leak from within the Maronite Synod.

It also refers to private sources who say that the patriarch is disturbed by the "careerism" of some Maronite bishops.

LC,

Thanks for that. Yes, I thought that what was termed careerism there - and which I called politicking - was more than a bit out of place.

Many years,

Neil

If memory serves, it's been done twice--and one of them wasn't even executed for it!

While I'm at it, who is the Pope to "accept" a Patriarch's resignation???

I can neither confirm nor deny; but if that's true, that only 2 out of the hundreds of popes resigned, then wow.

Shlomo Doc,

I am glad to see you back on the board. And I am doing well also. As to your points.


The following Popes have resigned from office:

*Pontian (230-235);
*Marcellinus (296 - 304);
*Silverius (536 - 537);
*John XVIII (1003 - 1009);
*Benedict IX (Pope on three occasions between 1032 and 1048);
*Celestine V in 1294; and
*Gregory XII (1406 - 1417).

As to your second point, the reason that a Catholic Patriarch sends his resignation letter to the Pope is so that the Pope as universal pastor can help determine if such a resignation is for the benefit of the Church at that time.

Even though I am a huge supporter of Eastern Catholic Church rights, in this case this procedure makes sense.

Fush BaShlomo,
Yuhannon